Analysis of reliable geodata contributes to sustainable and cost-effective pipeline routing. Optimization analysis reduces costs for both exploration and earthworks.
When laying pipelines, earthworks account for a large part of the investment. Optimization analysis, i.e. the production, processing and analysis of different types of geodata, can identify the most cost-effective route. It also creates the conditions for the pipeline route to be more sustainable.
To identify the most cost-effective pipeline route in the design phase, reliable information on the nature of the ground is needed. The factors that drive costs differ from project to project.
Earthworks can be much more expensive if the pipeline needs to be laid in bedrock or on steeply sloping ground. Wetlands, nature reserves, ancient monuments and cultural heritage sites can also complicate, hinder or delay the work. Negotiations with property owners are another cost driver in projects. It can be an advantage to have as few property owners as possible to negotiate with.
- Each project is unique and what drives costs varies from project to project," says Martin Bergström, GIS and remote sensing expert at Metria. He continues, "When we conduct an optimization analysis, it is important to understand what drives costs in the specific project.
The huge amounts of data produced in the digital society contain both brand new information and insights that have not been discovered before. The success of big data management lies in the ability to turn data into knowledge that can create business value for organizations.
- Martin continues, "We have specialist knowledge of what data is available and what quality it has. This gives us good conditions to identify which data matches the project's cost-driving factors so that the optimization analysis can provide the right answers, Martin explains.
The ability to collect, manage and analyze large amounts of data with the geographic location as a common denominator means that complex relationships that were previously not visible can now be discovered.
In the optimization analysis, large amounts of relevant data are analyzed based on the factors identified as cost drivers. The result will be one or more management proposals where all identified factors are clearly visible.
It may turn out that traditional approaches, such as staying close to the road network when routing, may not be the best for the project in question. In addition, the analysis reduces the time spent on exploration in the field, making the ground works directly more cost-effective.
- "An optimization analysis can save a lot of time and money in pipeline construction, but also in other types of projects," Martin says, adding "In the case of fiber, the analysis can be used to identify the areas where it is still profitable to expand. Of course, the optimization analysis can be applied to all types of underground pipelines, such as water/sewage and district heating.
Optimization analysis can help telecom companies to define the areas where it is still profitable to lay fibre and for the energy sector, for example, it can be used to determine the best route from wind and solar farms to the nearest existing grid.
Metria has deep knowledge of what information is available, how it can be used and which analyses can create reliable decision-making data for the telecom and energy industries.